# US 11,999,902 B1 · Chemical enhanced hydrocarbon recovery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,902 B1 - Document ID: US11999902B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/428,077 - Filed: 2024-01-31 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-31 - Assignees: Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc. - Applicants: Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc. - Inventors: Dustin L. Walker; Joshua W. Brownlow; Kyle D. Scott - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999902B1 ## CPC - C09K 8/584: characterised by the use of specific surfactants - E21B 43/20: Displacing by water - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract Compositions and methods for chemical enhanced hydrocarbon recovery that utilize a nonionic surfactant that is a mixture of isomerized C9-11 ethoxylated alcohols. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition comprising: a surfactant component comprising a mixture of isomerized C9-11 ethoxylated alcohols; wherein the mixture of isomerized C9-11 ethoxylated alcohols comprises a C9 ethoxylated alcohol, a C10 ethoxylated alcohol, a C11 ethoxylated alcohol, isomers of the C9 ethoxylated alcohol, isomers of the C10 ethoxylated alcohol, and isomers of the C11 ethoxylated alcohol, and wherein an amount of the C10 ethoxylated alcohol and the isomers of the C10 ethoxylated alcohol in the mixture of isomerized C9-11 ethoxylated alcohols is greater than about 50 wt % based on a total weight of the mixture of isomerized C9-11 ethoxylated alcohols. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1, wherein an amount of the C11 ethoxylated alcohol and the isomers of the C11 ethoxylated alcohol in the mixture of isomerized C9-11 ethoxylated alcohols is in a range of from about 1 wt % to about 25 wt % based on a total weight of the mixture of isomerized C9-11 ethoxylated alcohols. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 2, wherein an amount of the C9 ethoxylated alcohol and the isomers of the C9 ethoxylated alcohol in the mixture of isomerized C9-11 ethoxylated alcohols is in a range of from about 1 wt % to about 25 wt % based on a total weight of the mixture of isomerized C9-11 ethoxylated alcohols. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1, wherein the surfactant component further comprises one or more anionic disulfonate surfactants. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 4, wherein the one or more anionic disulfonate surfactants comprise a sodium dodecyl (C12) diphenyl oxide disulfonate salt and a sodium hexyl (C6) diphenyl oxide disulfonate salt. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 5, wherein the dodecyl (C12) group in the sodium dodecyl (C12) diphenyl oxide disulfonate salt is branched. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 5, wherein the sodium dodecyl (C12) diphenyl oxide disulfonate salt and the sodium hexyl (C6) diphenyl oxide disulfonate salt are present in a range of from about 40 wt % to about 50 wt % of the surfactant component. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1, wherein the mixture of isomerized C9-11 ethoxylated alcohols is present in a range of from about 50 wt % to about 100 wt % of the surfactant component, wherein the mixture of isomerized C9-11 ethoxylated alcohols has an average distribution of 8 EO units. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1, wherein the surfactant component is present in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 5 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1, further comprising a water component. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 10, wherein the water component comprises fresh water, gray water, untreated produced water, treated produced water, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 10, wherein the water component is present in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 99.9 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1, further comprising: a biocide component comprising glutaraldehyde, alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, or a combination thereof; wherein the biocide component is present in a range of from about 0.001 wt % to about 1 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1, further comprising: an alkali component comprising sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, or a combination thereof; wherein the alkali component is present in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 1.0 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1, further comprising: a cosolvent component comprising methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol mono-butyl ether, diethylene mono-butyl ether, and tri-ethylene mono-butyl ether, or a combination thereof; wherein the cosolvent component is present in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 5.0 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1, wherein the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition further comprises: a hydrotrope component comprising sodium toluene sulfonate, potassium toluene sulfonate, sodium xylene sulfonate, ammonia xylene sulfonate, potassium xylene sulfonate, calcium xylene sulfonate, sodium cumene sulfonate, ammonia cumene sulfonate, or a combination thereof; wherein the hydrotrope component is present in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 5 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1, further comprising: a viscosifying component comprising hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, xantham gum, scleroglucan, or a combination thereof; wherein the viscosifying component is present in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 5 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition.